Structural toy outfit



Jan. 31, 1956 R. M. SULLIVAN 2,732,654

STRUCTURAL TOY OUTFIT Filed March 24, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Page/PM 62m mvlv R. M. SULLIVAN STRUCTURAL TOY OUTFIT Jan. 31, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24, 1948 INVENTOR @0 5; M. Sun/mu ATTORN 5v United States Patent 2,732,654 STRUCTURAL TOY OUTFIT Roger M. Sullivan, Springfield Gardens, N. Y., assignor of one-half to John J. OConnell, Hollis, N. Y.

Application March 24, 1948, Serial No. 16,833 6 Claims. (CI. 4616) The present invention relates to structural toy outfits, and is moreparticularly directed to outfits having interchangeable parts suitable for erecting toy buildings, bridges and other structures.

The present invention contemplates the use of metal strips which are of eithersingle channel cross-section or double channel cross-section and having at their ends suitable configurationsbywhich they may be united directly, orthrough the medium of gusset units to form rectangular figures, 'and'the outlines of solid figures with rectangular faces.

The channel straps may be made from bent sheet metal stock, such as steel or aluminum, bent to shape and welded, riveted or brazed, as the case may be, or from extruded stock. They are light in weight, stiff and strong and are provided with holes, slots, and bumps which facilitate securing them to one another and to the gusset units.

The accompanying drawings show typical units provided for an outfit by which one can erect buildings, bridges and similar structures, also the assembly of such units into typical structures.

In these drawings:

Figures 1a to 11, inclusive, are perspective views of separate units; Figure la showing a simple channel, with out slots; Figures 1b and 1c showing a similar channel with different sized slots; Figure 1d an H, or double channel, unit with open ends; Figure 1e an H, or double channel, unit with infolded ends and Figure If a unit similar to that of Figure id, but with a slot;

Figure 2 is an assembly view illustrating an assembly of single and double channel units to form a square building with extensions;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the parts forming the corner of Figure 2 through which section line 4-4 is drawn;

Figures 4 to 6, inclusive, are sections in lines 4-4, 55 and 6-6, respectively, of Figure 2.

The channel unit 20, Fig. 1a, has near the ends of the web 20a two dents 20b forming outwardly extending protuberances (as shown more clearly in Fig. 4) and has in the flanges 20c holes 20d. Such a channel unit may for example be /2" X /8" x 10% long made of sheet, and the holes 20d may be Ma in diameter. The inside width of the channel is made equal to the outside height of the channel plus twice the thickness of the web so that all the parts will interfit properly.

The channel unit 21, Fig. 1b, is of the same dimensions as unit 20. It has in the ends of the web 21a slots 21b of a width equal to the thickness of the sheet used and in the ends of the side flanges 21c, holes 21d and 21e of the same size as holes 20d.

The channel unit 22, Fig. 1c, is like 21 except that the slot 22b is twice as wide as slot 21b. It has holes 22d and 22e like holes 21d and 21e.

The open ended double channel unit 23, Fig. id, is of the same dimension as the other channels, the two webs of the two channels being secured in any convenient manner. The same shape may be extruded, the web thickness being 2,732,654 Patented Jan. 31, 1956 double that of the sheet material. It has small holes 23a near the ends of the flanges 23b and larger aligned holes 230 farther from the ends of the flanges.

The double channel unit 24, Fig. la, is made of the same stock as 23. The flanges 24a and the web 24b are cut square, and the flanges 24a have aligned holes 24c near their ends. The opposite flanges 24 are split as indicated to form a slot 24g and infolded to provide a space 2411 between them and the ends of flanges 24a. The infolded flanges have small holes 241' and the flanges 24] have holes 24j opposite holes 24c. This unit is preferably shorter than units 21 to 23, inclusive.

The open ended double channel unit 25 of Fig. 1 is like unit 23 except for a slot 25a in the web and flanges.

With a number of the parts above described in detail it is possible to assemble a wide variety of structures. The basic item is a rectangular figure shown in Figure 4 and formed by two open ended double channel units 23 and two double channel units 24 with infolded ends. The slot 24g in the infolded ends accommodates the web of the double channel unit 23, as the parts are slid together. The corner thus'formed is aligned up, down, and sidewise and endwise in one direction. Such corners appear in Figures 2, 4 and 5, wherein the same reference characters are applied to the corresponding parts.

In the building of Figures 2-6, the rectangular frames are in vertical planes, the short units 24 forming columns and the long units 23 forming horizontals. Where it is desired to extend the columns the flanges at the outside corners of the first rectangular frame formed are available for additional column forming units as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4.

At any corner formed by units 23 and 24, one can insert a single channel unit such as 26, see Figures 2, 3 and 4, between the flanges at one side of the open ended unit. When the open ended unit 23 is connected to two column units the parts become interlocked by having the dents 29b enter the small holes 241' in the infolded flanges 24 Two such single channel units 20 are used in Figure 2 to connect the tops of the two completely shown rectangular frames assembled from units 23 and 24. Intermediate these connecting units 20, this figure (and Figure 6) show single channel units 21 of the narrow slot type. A single channel unit 22 of the wider slot type may be fitted into the bottoms of these rectangular frames, as shown in Figure 5, or a clip 31 may be used With a channel 20 as shown at the right of Figure 2.

The construction shown in Figures 26, and discussed above may be extended upwardly and laterally as desired. It is also possible to continue the building forwardly by coupling similar constructions together by units 24 placed horizontally as indicated.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular forms shown are but a few of these forms, and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A structural toy outfit comprising means forming a rectangular frame comprising four members each having a web and four flanges to form an H, or double channel, cross-section, the members being in pairs of equal length for forming sides and ends of the frame, the members of the side forming pair being open at the ends and square, the members of the end forming pair each having the flanges along one side and the Webs cut square at the ends and the flanges on the other side longer and infolded, the ends of the infolded flanges being spaced from the ends of the opposite flanges and their adjacent edges being spaced from one another and accommodating the ends of the flanges on one side of a side forming member and its interconnecting web so that when so assembled to form a corner the ends of the adjacent side and end forming members are secured together.

2. The toy outfit of claim 1 including an additional pair of end forming member adapted to be similarly secured to the exposed flanges at the ends of one of the side forming members to form similar frame sides extending away from the rectangular frame formed by the four first mentioned members, and a third side-forming member like the first two and adapted to be similarly secured to the free ends of the additional pair of end-forming members to form a second rectangular frame in which the two frames have a common side member.

3. The toy outfit of claim 1 including a member adapted to extend laterally from the corner of the rectangular frame, said member being of channel shaped cross-section with its end adapted to fit between the outside of one infolded end of an end forming member and the adjacent exposed flange of the side forming member.

4. The toy outfit of claim 1 including a member adapted to extend laterally from the corner of the recntangular frame, said member being of channel shaped cross-section with its end adapted to fit between the outside of one infolded end of an end forming member and the adjacent exposed flange of the side forming member, the infolded flange and the web of the channel member having cooperative holes and protuberances to resist separation of these parts.

5. The toy outfit of claim 1, having means to form a rectangular parallelepiped frame including means forming a second similar rectangular frame and four channelshaped spacer members adapted to interconnect the respective corners of the rectangular frames opposite one another, the spacer members having ends adapted to be fitted between the outside of one infolded end of an end forming member and the adjacent exposed flange of the side forming member.

6. A unit for a structural toy outfit, said unit being of uniform cross-section throughout its length and having a web and four flanges to form an H, or double channel shaped cross-section, the ends of the flanges on one side of the unit and the web being cut square, the flanges on the other side of the unit being longitudinally slotted and folded toward the first flanges to bring the ends into nearby spaced relationship.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,433,273 Graves Oct. 24, 1922 1,662,769 Wait Mar. 13, 1928 1,763,300 Gilbert June 10, 1930 2,010,552 McDermott Aug. 6, 1935 2,023,814 Lindsey Dec. 10, 1935 2,112,247 McLoughli n Mar. 29, 1938 2,155,709 Patterson Apr. 25, 1939 

